Well, we talk about death a lot during the retreat, it's one of the reflections for all of you to use regularly. Regularly. To do a short form as we encourage before every sitting period and every once in a while to do a long session of just death reflection, using the various techniques that we have listed in the papers that you all have and other similar techniques. To reflect that death can come anywhere, in anyway, to anybody, at anytime.
Even when people are warned about possible dangerous situations that may bring death, a lot of them don't pay any attention. For instance, the news last week of New Orleans in America. People were warned, they didn't pay any attention somehow feeling they were safe.
How can people logically believe that living in places below sea level, with only a wall to protect them from the ocean and hurricanes, is safe? It's bizarre. People are warned and they don't even pay attention.
Now, all of you are warned, "You are going to die!". Believe me, you are going to die. Well, people don't believe it. They really don't believe it. It's someone else who dies, you read it in newspapers, it's never your own death, right? Always somebody else. Yeah, you are all warned, but you don't really believe it. Well, this is where we've got to pump it in, we've got to pump it in, we've got to pump it in. If we don't pump it in, then we are going to believe that tomorrow will come. The next holiday will come.
How many of you were certain you were going to do this retreat? How many of you thought, "Well, I'm signed up for the retreat but it may not happen"? Chances are most of you didn't give that as much thought as your thoughts were, "Oh, I'm going to do the retreat, I'm going to do the retreat!" You need to pump it in, you need to pump it in. Then you get ready for it, you get ready for your own death and you get ready for anyone else's death, your loved ones in particular. It can come anywhere, anytime.
Much of this whole practice is to prepare for death. It is to prepare for our own death, it is to prepare for other people's death, that's what this practice is largely for. You've got to keep doing it, you've got to pump it in and then it won't be so overwhelming.
Rosemary and I have done death reflection for over 27 years. It is very hard for us to believe, tomorrow is coming. Yes, we make plans, there is a schedule for the whole next year at Wat Kow Tahm and we are scheduled to come back here next year. Even though our schedule is there, it's very difficult for us to absolutely believe it will happen because of 27 years of practice. We've watched other people die, we've watched relatives die. A lot of them did not expect to die. Fine, my father died at 85, that is to be expected. An aunt, who died at 50 years old, was not expected. One of Rosemary's nieces, died last year at twenty-six. Other relatives died when they were six years and three years old. Anytime, anywhere, anybody, anyhow. We've got to pump it in, pump it in and then you will be more prepared for it.
Now, when I say the practice is to get ready for death, there is another level of death that I will mention and that's death of your personal Ego-identity as to who you think you are right now. Where is the 15 year old in high school? Think back, one day you were 15 years old in high school. Where is that kid? That kid is dead. You won't be able to find that 15 year old kid on the whole planet. Where is the 6 year old from first grade, second grade, whatever? You won't find that kid anywhere on the planet, that kid is dead. This is the other level of death that we need to become aware of as much as possible. That who we think we are right now is going to be dead in the future. Even if there is a person who remembers this person right here in the hall, the person in the hall is going to be dead. So this is a whole level of death or impermanence that we need to be aware of, so that we let go of attaching so strongly to, "This is me, this is what I am or have to be."
How many people go berserk when they get fired from their job? Their whole life goes upside down, they are terribly upset, this or that. There are a lot of people going back to New Orleans, there is a heck lot of people whose "lives" are dead, finished. They are still alive but they have to start brand new again. They have nothing. Maybe they have their families, some of them don't have their families. Their homes, gone. okay, so to get ready for death at any time, of our personal Ego-identity is also very important, to let go of attachment so much to this being 'me, me, me, me'. The more we reflect in these ways the more we get ready for it and will be able to accept it.